It’s estimated that it may cost about K128 million, but as Somare said, ‘We are rich enough’, and in defending the purchase he added that ‘it is misleading and irresponsible to tout opinions not based on facts that we are depriving any Papua New Guinean of any essential service through the purchase of this aircraft. With the increase in allocation to all sectors we should be seeing better government services.’
It also appears that the financing for the aircraft will be done through a five year loan repayment. But when Air Niugini CEO, Mr. Kumarasiri was asked on how much it would cost, he answered, ‘…the price is a matter of “Commercial Confidentiality”. Oh okay sorry about that, I didn’t realise that the details of public money being used were so private.
Sometimes its not just a matter of having the money to pay for these things (even though we probably don’t really), but rather what sort message it portrays of our government? Are we counting chickens before they hatch?
If someone out there is still hell bent on getting this jet, then wouldn’t it make more sense that Air Nuigini bought it with their own money and the jet was avilable to anyone for hire so that you can make more money out of the plane instead of it sitting idle until one of a handdful of MP’s decides to go for a cruise somewhere? What’s wrong with the cheap airfares that Air Nuigini and Virgin have been offering lately?
Masalai blog 
It angers me that such arrogant statements like those mentioned above are made. Somare continues to illustrate just how out of touch with reality he is:
“it is misleading and irresponsible to tout opinions not based on facts that we are depriving any Papua New Guinean of any essential service through the purchase of this aircraft.”
Grab a loud haler and tell that to the countless number of people who aren’t receiving the basic health care services they should be receiving at Pom Gen Mr Somare, lets see if you’ll make it out of the car park unscathed.
I just had to share this from Dr Kristoffa Ninkama.
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Who is rich, Mr Prime Minister?
“WE are Rich Enough” …so says Michael Somare, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea on the 14th of April 2009. And he continues … “the people of PNG will not be poorer by the decision to buy an executive jet worth millions of kina”. I have never had of such preposterous excuse from a prime minister of a sovereign nation anywhere! The Prime minister is certainly suffering from delusion of grandeur in his decision to divert millions of kina to purchase this ludicrous flying object which only he and his stooges stand to benefit from at the expense of the tax payers. Further, he is in denials when he says that the people will not be poorer by his decision to use the people’s money for this extravaganza. Mr Prime Minister. You have been in politics for 40 years. You would probably know better than most about the political progress of the country so perhaps you will care to answer some of the following questions:
1. WHEN you say … “We are rich”… who do you refer to? Are you referring to the government, the nation, the ordinary people or yourself?
2. WHEN you say… “the people will not be poorer”… what exactly do you imply? It seems as if you are in denial of the fact that majority of Papua New Guineans whom you are suppose to represent earn a gross yearly income of less than K5.00. Now if you had the common decency of asking these people of their opinion about expanding K180 million for your private jet using their money would you for one moment think they will agree at all? I don’t think so period.
3. YOU stated that … “the people are not starving because they are living off their garden”… Do you and other successive governments in the last 40 years consider this to be just enough to systematically neglect basic human services and infrastructure development to the rural remote parts of Papua New Guinea?
4. CAN you explain why, millions of your voters in the Sepik are suffering from tinea imbricate, hypersplenism, anaemia, mouth cancer, high infant and maternal mortality rates?
5. WHY have my people in South Chimbu denied of any basic government services for as long as you have been in politics?
6. CAN you outline to me how in the 40 years you have been in politics what you have done to improve literacy, roads, bridges, schools, health services, premiums on health insurances for all the citizens, provisions of pharmaceuticals, why HIV/AIDS out of control, why we have the highest infant mortality and maternal mortality in comparison, why law and order is still not addressed, why the public servants are living in abject poverty, why government institutions are falling apart, why millions of kina are stolen right under your nose, why there is rampant political corruption which every successive governments seem to be a part of and year after year there are commissions of inquiry, which are never addressed, why forty years on and there is still a dual education system in Papua New Guinea and why the so called District Services Grants which has never seen the light of day in terms of any tangible developments to the rural populace still in existence? The buck stops with you so please do me a favour – do not blame others. I need you to convince me that you and other successive governments in the last 40 years of being in politics in Papua New Guinea have achieved any of the above in real terms. If you have achieved all of the above, then Papua New Guineans will probably forgive you for purchasing this expensive flying junk. If you haven’t you should have a guilty conscience and abort this preposterous idea.
Dr Kristoffa Ninkama
Wikauma, South Chimbu
This is not right. Why are our leaders so out of touch with the realities of everyday people?
First it was Prados and Landcruisers, but it’s not enough they travel in style on the ground, they need a private aircraft, to jetset with their corporate interest buddies.
I hope this blog is doing a good job of shaming the politicians. What does the local press have to say?
Hey CW, quite allot actually..its been a really hot topic but then our politicians are so thick skinned these days, they think that suddenly with all these gas projects coming up we can start spending however we like and at the expense of basic health and education.
Can someone give them a reality check?